Columnist Jeff Haney: Showboat offers unique football props

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000 | 10:26 a.m.

Jeff Haney's sports betting column appears Wednesday. Reach him at 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com

Like a good-guy alter ego of "The Sopranos" character Richie Aprile, D. Wayne Mauldin believes in traditional values.

"I'm old school," Mauldin says.

So it's only appropriate that Mauldin has taken charge of muscling up the race and sports book at the Showboat, one of the city's most storied properties.

"I'm trying to get back to the basics of bookmaking," Mauldin said.

For Mauldin, that includes placing an emphasis on personalized customer service, which some critics say is becoming harder to find than a faro game in modern-day Las Vegas.

It's the only way to go, Mauldin said, especially at an off-Strip hotel-casino like the Showboat, which sits at the western edge of the Boulder Strip, just a Hail Mary from downtown Las Vegas.

"It's a very competitive market out here on the Boulder Strip," Mauldin said. "What I'm trying to do is come up with innovations that benefit the in-house, everyday player, as well as attracting new customers.

"My goal is to offer everything the Strip properties have right here at the Showboat."

Mauldin's most visible innovation since becoming Showboat sports book director has been his NFL team matchup prop.

Bettors can wager on which of two NFL teams will win more games this season. There are 15 matchups on the board, ranging from the Rams vs. the Redskins (St. Louis is pick minus 125) to the 49ers vs. the Bengals (Cincinnati is plus a half-game, minus 125).

As a point of comparison, the latest odds at the Imperial Palace have the Redskins winning 12 games (with a premium on the under) and the Rams 11. The 49ers are listed at 5 wins at the IP, the Bengals at 5 1/2.

Mauldin said the idea for matchup props came about after he saw the over/under NFL season wins wager disappear from a number of local books over the past several years. (This season, the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay offered the prop in addition to the IP.)

"The books found that the over/under bet was not profitable for them," Mauldin said. "The wise bettors were beating it consistently, and the books were getting pounded year in and year out."

The two-team matchup prop is unique to the Showboat this season, though Mauldin thinks more books may adopt it in coming years.

"Matching up two teams gives the bettor a good challenge, and it also allows the book a lot more flexibility when it comes to adjusting the number," he said.

The upper limit on the prop is generally $300, but Mauldin said the amount is negotiable depending on how heavy the betting action has been on a particular side.

Twelve college matchups also are on the board, with the featured bet pitting Nebraska (plus a half-game, plus 110) against Florida State (minus a half-game, minus 140).

By comparison, Mandalay Bay odds have Florida State at 11 wins, Nebraska at 10.

"The idea is to select some high-profile teams, find the right number, and create some extra excitement among college bettors," Mauldin said. "With colleges there are a lot more variables -- strength of schedules, the conferences, and even the number of games played.

"People on both sides of the counter really have to do their homework."

Mauldin has also posted over/under numbers on touchdown passes thrown this season by Kurt Warner (37 1/2), Peyton Manning (27 1/2) and Brett Favre (28 1/2); and touchdowns scored by Edgerrin James (17 1/2), Eddie George (14 1/2), Keyshawn Johnson (10 1/2), Marshall Faulk (13 1/2) and Randy Moss (12 1/2).

His bookmaking style was formed during the 10 years he spent at the Stardust (1987-97), Mauldin said. It was there he learned the ins and outs of the business -- as well as his respect for "old school" Las Vegas.

"(The Stardust) is a training ground for a lot of prominent bookmakers," said Mauldin, who put in a stint at the Reserve before joining the Showboat.

Next up for the Showboat is a change of name. The new name, as yet unrevealed, will coincide with a remodeling of the hotel-casino, as new owner VSS Enterprises shifts the resort's theme from Mardi Gras to a "Spanish Ocean" atmosphere. Earlier this year VSS put the finishing touches on its $23.5 million purchase of the property from Harrah's.

In the "Will Tiger Woods finish in the top three?" bet, "Yes" is minus 160 while "No" is plus 130. Woods is 7-5 to win the tournament.

In the featured matchup, Ernie Els is minus 130 against Phil Mickelson (plus 110).

Other matchups are Lee Westwood (minus 115) vs. Colin Montgomerie; Vijay Singh (minus 125) vs. Davis Love III; Jim Furyk (minus 125) vs. Sergio Garcia; and Nick Price (minus 120) vs. Fred Couples.

Also, Hal Sutton (minus 130) vs. Darren Clarke; Notah Begay III (minus 110) vs. Steve Flesch; Stuart Appleby (minus 120) vs. David Toms; Loren Roberts (minus 120) vs. Paul Azinger; and Stewart Cink (minus 110) vs. Mike Weir.